Chapter 7

Nile looked surprised, but the smile on Penelope’s face was worth the interruption to my morning routine. We spent the next few hours coloring before I walked her to school. Before the month was out, Penelope and I were much more comfortable with each other and would spend nearly every morning doing activities together. Over the course of the next few weeks, I was also able to meet almost the entire pack during either breakfast or dinner. I had met them at the wedding, of course, but so much had been going on that I hadn’t been able to get a proper introduction. As they trickled in one by one, it was easier for me to remember their names and let them get to know me. Most of the pack treated me kindly, although a few were more hostile. It was understandable, considering I was an outsider who had been chosen to be a second mate to their alpha. But no one was more hostile than Diana. It had been three weeks since the ceremony when I finally met Penelope’s grandmother—the mother of Nile’s first wife, Jana. The Pinedale wolves were gathered in the clearing where we had gotten married for a skirmish with Jasper and April’s pack. Nile and I had been seen in public together occasionally,but this was the first time we had the entire pack as our audience. I no longer needed Nile’s reminders to put on my “happy wife” charade. We held hands as we walked into the forest, Penelope skipping along in front of us and a wide smile plastered to my face. It was much easier to feign contentment when I focused on my new stepdaughter. “So, this is her, then,” a woman in her sixties said as she approached us. I saw Nile’s smile fall at her words, replaced by a look of pain and sadness. “This is my mate, Violet,” he told the woman. “Violet, this is Diana. My mother-in-law.” “Not anymore, it would seem,” Diana said coldly. “You’ve replaced my daughter now, and I’ll be next.” Nile sighed in exasperation as he released my hand. Reaching toward Diana, he encircled one of her hands with both of his. “Diana, let’s not do this again. I’ve already told you that you are still a welcome member of my family. Isn’t that enough?” “I guess so,” she responded with a pout. “Good,” Nile said. “I need to speak with Jasper. It was good to see you, Diana. Violet, I’ll see you in a little bit.” I was about to walk away in search of April when Diana grabbed my forearm. Her face was not unkind, but her grip certainly was. Her long nails bit into my skin as she held me tightly. “It was bad form for Nile to take a second wife, you know,” she said. “My daughter was his true mate, and he lovedher more than life itself. If it weren’t for their little girl, he would have wasted away to nothing when Jana died.” I swallowed nervously, unsure of whether she expected a response from me or what I would say if she did. “Just you watch. He’ll never love you like he loved my Jana,” Diana warned. I nodded, and she released me before scurrying away toward the rest of the pack. She hadn’t said anything that I didn’t already believe to be true, but I hadn’t expected her to say it quite as publicly or bluntly as she had. I tried to shake off the confusion that she had left in her wake as I rejoined Nile around the circle. I was quiet as I watched the events of the evening. It was a short night—only three groups of wolves were participating in the skirmishes tonight. When the final winner was declared—April, the Dark Moon luna—Alpha Jasper called the assembly to attention. “Congratulations to my beautiful mate,” he said as she winked back at him exaggeratedly. “Before you all go, please give a round of applause to Alpha Nile and Luna Violet, who are joining us together for the first time!” A few wolf whistles accompanied the claps and cheers, and then I heard a chant rise up from amidst the wolves. “Kiss! Kiss her!” I felt the heat rising in my cheeks as I glanced at Nile. “You want to see a kiss?” he shouted back to the crowd. “Yes! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!” “Sounds like the people have spoken,” I said in a voice that didn’t quite sound like my own. It sounded too upbeat, and far too pleased with the idea of kissing Nile. We had discussed public displays of affection before tonight and agreed that, while necessary to maintain our façade of a happy union, they shouldn’t become a spectacle. I placed my hands on his shoulders as he held my waist. He bent his head down so that our lips could touch, but what started as a perfunctory peck almost immediately sparked something deeper. Just like at our mating ceremony, as soon as our lips touched, I felt a burning desire in my core to have Nile closer to me. Our kiss deepened, and I opened my mouth to explore his with my tongue. As I did, I felt his grip on my waist tighten. He was pulling me closer to him, and it was exactly where I wanted to be. A sudden wind blew through the trees, and I was reminded of where we were. And who was watching. I pulled back suddenly, embarrassed by our display and shaken by how I let myself get carried away. Nile offered me an apologetic smile, which I returned. My feelings were so conflicted, and I had nowhere to go to process them. All I could do was ignore them as I blushed with newlywed bliss while the pack hollered their approval. From the corner of my eye, I could see Diana glaring at us. That’s going to be a problem,my wolf pointed out.